


Where There Is Love

by yetiman305



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Asahi deserves love, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Post-Time Skip, Tsuki is a little shit, asahi has daddy issues, crossposted on wattpad, long fanfiction, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29075595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yetiman305/pseuds/yetiman305
Summary: Y/n has always been a lover of new things, but when she discovered volleyball in Junior High, it became something she stuck to and grew to love, not to mention she was quite good at it.However, after breaking her leg in an accident in her second year of high school and losing her mother, she couldn't get back into it. Her family then moves to the Miyagi district where she transfers to Karasuno in her third year.With a broken leg and an intense love of the sport, she did the next best thing, she became a manager for the fabled clipped crows.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Original Female Character(s), Azumane Asahi/Reader, Azumane Asahi/You, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone, I have posted and completed this story on Wattpad under @/brilliant_aesthetics. It is currently at 35.6k reads. I've been reading on ao3 and I wanted to post it here too. Basically, what inspired this is my intense love for Asahi Azumane and the lack of love he receives. That man is my literal husband and I am seeing too little fanfics about him. I decided to change that up with my own ideas and thoughts.

S U M M A R Y

Y/N has always been a lover of new things, but when she discovered volleyball in Junior High, it became something she stuck to and grew to love, not to mention she was quite good at it.

However, after breaking her leg in an accident in her second year of high school and losing her mother, she couldn't get back into it. Her family then moves to the Miyagi district where she transfers to Karasuno in her third year.

With a broken leg and an intense love of the sport, she did the next best thing, she became a manager for the fabled clipped crows.

C H A R A C T E R S

Y/n- The reader of course.

Azumane Asahi- Main love interest 

Karasuno boys- Can't have a Haikyuu fanfic without the boys

N O T E

I don't own any of the characters besides those that are considered to be apart of Y/n's family. The rest comes from the manga and anime, Haikyuu. 

This story DOES lead to eventual smut, you'll be warned of that at the start of each chapter as well as a series of 'lemon' emojis so you can skip it if you need to.

Thank you and enjoy it. :)


	2. O N E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductory Chapter!

My mother used to say "Where there is love, there is growth" but I never really understood what she meant. There were plenty of things that I loved but that didn't mean I grew from them. I loved vanilla ice cream and the stars, at night but they weren't things that induced growth within me. And so I tried to discover more things to love in order to understand what she was trying to tell me.

I tried my hand at a variety of instruments learning the basics but not loving them enough to master them. I took up sewing and crochet and could repair a few rips and replace buttons but I couldn't design entire outfits. I learned to dance well enough that I could impress a few people at parties but never get up on world stages. I swam, played football, and basketball but none of those really spoke to me.

It wasn't until volleyball that I discovered what love was. It was in volleyball that I learned how to completely immerse myself into something I loved and grow with it. In volleyball, I learned discipline, strength, and how to see things through until the end, something I had never done before. And see it to the end I did. Starting in my first year of Junior high and up into my second year of high school, mom was my biggest supporter. She never failed to come to my games and stayed up late with me as I practiced at home. She watched me flourish and she praised my growth. 

I am not exactly sure when I took that for granted but it became very apparent to me on my last days of volleyball. We had just lost our game against our rival school in Tokyo and I was fuming. The drive back was tense and my mother kept looking at me out of the side of her eye. It might have been one of these looks that led to the accident. The next thing either of us knew was that we were sliding off the road with the front of the car completely crushed. I must have passed out from the pain because I don't remember much. They said mom died on impact due to smashing her head on the wheel. My injuries came from the front of the car being crushed resulting in a leg broken in multiple places and several cuts and bruises. 

It was in one accident that I lost my number one supporter and my means of enjoying the one thing I loved. I never even got to say thank you.


	3. T W O

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the family! Or what is left of it, lol

"Y/n, are you packed?" my father shouts from downstairs. I sat on one of my boxes as I gazed around my empty room. 

"Yea, I am," I replied as he came up the stairs. He entered my room with a heavy look on his face and it appeared to get heavier as he looked at me. 

"Want some help, hun?" He tried to smile while I slowly nodded my head. He helped me stand while holding onto my crutches. He grabbed my final boxes and we made our way out of the room and down the stairs. The pictures that adorned the wall had been packed and the plants that filled our home were put away. The place that had been my home for the past 17- almost 18- years is no longer my home. It hasn't been my home since my mom passed. 

"Alright, you go sit in the car and we will leave soon, ok?" I moved to the car and took my place in the passenger seat. My leg still ached sometimes for the most part, but soon I'd be starting physio when we arrived at our new home.

"Nee-chan, are you ok?" My brother, Ryusei, said from the back. At only 10 years old, the move was simply an annoyance to him. Of course, he would miss the friends he had here but he was more than ready to meet new people. I smiled and nodded towards him as I settled myself in the seat, adjusting my crutches. Satisfied with this, he went back to playing his game on his IPad. Dad then slid into the driver's seat and started the car. 

"Alright guys, let's go." We peeled out of the driveway with the moving van following close behind us. I turned up the radio then sat back and watched my neighbourhood disappear behind us as we sped on.

~~~~~

The drive itself wasn't bad considering I slept through it. It was 5 hours but felt like only 30 minutes or so. What took forever was the unpacking and with only one good leg and the need for the constant support provided by my crutches, I wasn't making things any easier. 

"I'll just take the stuff up to your room and you can work up there, ok hun?" My dad offered, finding a polite way to get me out of the way and be productive. If there was anything my father disliked, it was a lack of productivity. He moved my first few boxes upstairs, I held the hangers, and my brother carried a chair. I was situated in front of the closet with clothes to put away while my dad, brother, and the moving team dealt with everything else. A feeling of absolute uselessness overwhelmed me. This feeling of doing nothing coupled with my inability to help in any way was a familiar one. I tackled each box until I came to the last one which held my sports stuff. I pulled out my old jerseys, knee pads, and arm sleeves as tears rolled down my face. They smelt like the laundry detergent my mom always used. I folded them back up, wiped my face, and pushed it to the back of my closet. 

You will get better Y/n, you will get better.

I repeated that mantra in my head as got up ready to move downstairs. I must have taken longer than I had realized folding because all the corresponding boxes for the living room as well as the furniture were situated. Taking my seat in the armchair, I began to unpack the pictures, plants, and books while my father and brother worked in the kitchen. 

We spent the day unpacking to the point the living room, kitchen, and bathroom were complete. All of our bedrooms were decently set up and we only had a few rooms of the house left, including a shrine for mom. 

Since today was Saturday, I start physiotherapy tomorrow and at my new school, Karasuno, in two days. I went to sleep recalling all the changes that had occurred in our lives over that past few months and the change that would follow now that we are adapting to a completely new life without my mom.


	4. T H R E E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of school! Time to meet your lover.

Waking up at 6:00 am on a Monday is one of the last things I wanted to do. I was sore and achy from the physio for my leg as well as finishing setting up the house and now I have to start an entirely new school year as a third-year student with no friends. Lucky me. 

"Nee-chan, daddy says 'get up, now'" My brother came rushing into my room half-dressed in his uniform and way too much energy.

"I'm up," I grumbled from under the covers, trying to gain the willpower to get out of bed. That was until my brother decided to throw the covers off of me, greeting me to the cold morning air. 

"Now!" he said, as he ran from my room. He is so lucky I can't walk right now, if I could, I would have ended his life. I finally moved from my bed to my bathroom with my crutches to do the regular morning stuff such as brushing my teeth and washing my face. I brushed my (h/c) hair so it fell in its natural state and applied a little makeup, of course, first impressions were everything. Finally putting on the uniform I'd be wearing for my last year of high school. Going downstairs for breakfast, I saw my father preparing pancakes and dicing fruits. He always was the chef between my mom and him. Mom could barely cook to save her life. 

"Eat up, hun. Big day today." He said while handing me a plate. I smiled gratefully and thanked him as I took a seat at the table. Ryusei rushed in next gladly grabbing the plate from my father and immediately scarfing his food down. Not even a good morning came from him. Rolling my eyes, I ate my food and then grabbed my bento from the table to put in my backpack. I had to wait for my father and brother considering I couldn't walk to school despite how close the school was to our house. When they finally finished, we all piled into the car and headed off to the high school since it was closest.

"Have a good day at school today, hun. Call me if anything happens at all and I will come to get you. I love you." 

"Thank you, dad. And I will, I love you too, and I love you Ryu-Kun." I responded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, leave already," Ryusei said from the backseat. I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at him before getting out of the car. There weren't too many people outside of the school so I didn't get the typical stare down that the new kid gets. I waved to my family as they drove away then I walked into the school where the stares started coming. I have never been the shy type so I matched the stares head-on with a bright smile of my own. I reached my class, 3-3, but due to my current condition, I was one of the last people to arrive. Upon my arrival, all heads whipped towards me as I simply smiled and moved to the only available seat, I was starting to get tired. 

Beside my seat sat a rather handsome guy. His hair was pulled back into a neat bun and his face held a bit of a scruff. And despite the fact that he was sitting, he seemed ridiculously large, in a good way of course. His eyes briefly flickered to mine and I knew I had been caught staring. I felt my face go a little warm as I smiled shyly at him. His face seemed to go red as he returned the gesture. Taking this time before class really started, I introduced myself.

"Hi, I am (L/n) (y/n), I am new here." 

"Hi (l/n)-san, my name is Azumane Asahi, where are you from?"

"I'm from Saitama, I went to school at Shinzen High." 

"That's far from here, why did you move?" That's where I hesitated. He must have noticed because he was quick to start apologizing.

"I didn't- I mean- umm- I'm sorry." His face began to redden as he scratched the back of his neck. I smiled then, trying to reassure him. 

"No it's ok, we were just looking for a change of scenery I guess," I reassured, also hiding the truth in the process. It was then that the teacher came into the class, putting an end to our conversation. 

It wasn't until lunch that we spoke again, as I got up, hoping to find a vending machine. 

"Hey, can you help me find a vending machine? I really love milk." I smiled at him and he instantly agreed, not before offering to just go and buy it for me himself.

"Nah, I need to get up. I never spent this much time sitting before I broke it, I used to be quite active believe it or not." I said to him as we exited the class together.

"I believe it, I could see you fidgeting in class." My face warmed at that comment and his did too. 

"N-not that I was watching you or anything." he tried to save himself as he scratched his neck again. Laughing at his cuteness, I shook it off with a teasing grin on my face. 

"So what did you do when you were active?" He quickly changed the subject.

"Well, I used to play volleyball, I can't right now, obviously because of the leg."

"Really? I play volleyball too! W-well I used to, not anymore." 

"Aww, what happened? Life-changing injury, or did you reach a higher calling?" It felt that almost immediately, the mood between us changed. Before I could even retract my statement and apologize, we found the vending machine. 

I went to get my milk and it was silent between us even as we walked back.

"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me." I apologized looking straight ahead. 

"No, it's ok, it's just something I haven't fully come to terms with." With that, he smiled at me and continued our walk back to class where we both enjoyed our lunches and milk.

The day progressed without much talk from the two of us until class finished for the day. We walked together to the front gate where I saw my father waiting.

"Bye Azumane-san, see you tomorrow." 

"Good-bye (L/n)-san." He waved before walking away. I slid into the car and greeted my father.

"Did you have a good day today, hun?" He said expectantly.

"Yea, I made a friend." I smiled at the thought of my new friend and wondered what tomorrow would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever Y/n 'blushes', I try to avoid saying that her face went red. As a black girl, my face doesn't turn red but it does feel warm when I get embarrassed or something. If you see 'blushes' in my story, I don't necessarily mean the whole, 'turning red' thing. I just mean that a situation left you embarrassed and the blood physically rushed to your face making you warm.


	5. F O U R

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the boys as their newest manager! Will Asahi return or not?

Over the past few weeks at Karasuno, my friendship with Azumane-san grew and he's even introduced me to his other third-year friends. Sawamura Daichi, Sugawara Koshi, and Shimizu Kiyoko were some of the nicest people I have ever encountered and have made everything about moving easier. Now, we eat lunch together every day. At least, Kiyoko and I do. The boys are constantly tossing volleyball to each other. I tried to join but Azumane-san, or Asahi, as he insists I call him, makes me sit.

"It doesn't even hurt that bad, lemme just receive a few," I whined as tried to give my best puppy dog eyes to Asahi.

"It's broken, sit down." Asahi said, holding strong.

"But the cast will be off soon, so I am basically healed!" I insisted. It was true, The cast would come off in the next week at my next appointment.

"Then why risk it when you are so close?" The logic he provided was sound but that didn't mean I liked it. 

"Whatever," I grumbled under my breath as he laughed at me. 

"Don't worry, you'll be able to play with us soon." He smiled before going back to his game.

"So what will you do once you get the cast taken off? You can't play on the girl's team because you are still healing," Kiyoko questioned from beside me while enjoying her lunch.

"I don't even know. My dad and physiotherapist said I can't play but I need to be involved. I'll go insane if I just have to sit and do nothing." I sigh, trying to come up with ways to enjoy the sport I loved.

"Why don't you join me as a manager then?" She suggested. Immediately I perked up. Not only would I be involved in volleyball but I could still sneakily play. 

"That's perfect! Kiyoko, you absolute genius!" A blush formed on her cheeks as she gave me an excited smile. 

"Guy's guess what? Kiyoko came up with the best idea ever!" The guys started to gather around us, curious looks on their faces. 

"I am going to be your second manager when I get my cast off!" I beamed while Sawamura-san and Sugawara-san beamed back at me. 

"That'll be great! Two managers will definitely make things easier." Suga said encouragingly.

"You know what would make things even easier? Getting our ace back as well as a second manager," Daichi said, looking at Asahi pointedly.

"We know you still love volleyball, just come back. We barely won our match over Aoba Johsai, we need our ace." The mood between the five of us instantly turned tense. 

"I don't know if I can even be the ace if I can't get past a row of blockers," Ashai's guilt was written all over his face. He had told me a bit about why he doesn't play volleyball now. The match against Date Tech sent his confidence plummeting, leading him to stop calling for balls. The guilt from that match led to a rift between him and his teammates, Sugawara-san, and Nishinoya. He had just recently started speaking to Suga again, and even then, he is still a little awkward. 

"You can't let this guilt eat you, Asahi," I spoke to him gently as I tried to move closer to him. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. You did what you could and despite what you may think, everyone is proud of you. They need you, Asahi." He looked up at me with that statement and smiled slightly. 

"I'll think about it and see." He conceded before getting up again. "We should get back to class y/n, lunch will be done soon." He helped me stand and grabbed my crutches while everyone packed their stuff up. 

"Meet me in front of the gym after school, y/n. We should talk to Takeda-sensei and get you introduced to the team soon." Kiyoko said as she headed towards her class. 

"Ok, see you then." I smiled at her before following Ashai.

"Bye Sawamura-san, bye Sugawara-San!" I called over my shoulder.

"Bye Y/n and Asahi. And just call us Daichi and Suga." Daichi waved over his shoulder while Suga smiled at us. I sped up a little to be in line with Asahi, who was still looking a little tense.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly. He came to a stop and turned to me. He immediately wrapped his arms around me in a hug, burying his face in my hair.

"Thank you, y/n." He said before moving away, a rose tint covering his face. I felt my own face warm as I tried to collect myself from the sudden contact.

"No problem, what are friends for?" I smiled at him before walking again.

We reached class and lessons continued for the day until 3:30 when lessons for the day are done. Before I could even say anything to Asahi, he rushed out quickly with a look of determination in his eyes. I shook it off and quickly gathered my stuff to get ready to meet Kiyoko. 

I could hear the sound of squeaky shoes and shouts before I even saw the gym. Kiyoko stood outside, notebook in hand ready to meet me. When she saw me, she immediately took my bags and opened the door. It seemed that almost all at once the noise stopped as the second and first-year boys took me in. Kiyoko came up from behind me and two boys were already screaming. 

"KIYOKO-SAN!" A bald guy and a short guy with a small patch of blonde hair cried. They seemed ready to run and tackle her and probably would have if it wasn't for Daichi holding them by their shirts. 

"Can you two behave, we have a guest. Sorry, y/n-san." Daichi said apologetically while keeping a firm hold of the two.

"It's ok Daichi, it seems like nobody can contain themselves around Kiyoko," I said with a wink as Kiyoko and I moved towards the side of the court. Daichi got the boys to get back to practicing while he brought me a chair to sit on. Looking around the gym, there certainly was a variety of players on the Karasuno team, especially the short red-haired boy who seemed to be able to just ten feet into the air. Soon Takeda-sensei came in with a man with blonde hair. Even Kiyoko was unsure who he was. Sensei came over to the side court beside Kiyoko and me, so I got up to introduce myself.

"Hello Takeda-Sensei, I would like to become the second manager to the Karasuno team. I used to play volleyball myself before my injury so I believe I can be helpful." I said bowing as much as my crutches would allow me to bow.

"Of course. It will be so nice to have an extra set of hands and eyes. Plus having someone with experience close to the boy's age will be wonderful." He said to me then turned towards the gym. "Alright, boys gather around. This is Ukai Keishin and (l/n) (f/n), Ukai will be your couch up until your practice match against Nekoma, and (L/n)-Chan will be your second manager.

"Aren't you the guy that runs Sakanoshita? And how did you break your leg?" The blad-headed guy questions. 

"He's the grandson of the famous Coach Ukai and don't be rude Tanaka," Takada-sensei answers smoothly.

"The store comes from mom's side of the family. Now that's enough. I want to see how you guys play so you have a match at 6:30 against the Karasuno Neighbourhood Association Team." Ukai smiles. The boys immediately go and get on with some practice before their opponents show up while Kiyoko tells me about the boys on the team. Though I am paying attention to her and what she is telling me, I can't help but let my mind wander to Asahi. He left in such a hurry that I thought he would be getting changed for practice. I couldn't help but wonder where he is now.

"Y/n, are you listening? You seem to be lost in thought." Kiyoko says, noticing my lack of focus.

"Yea I am. Sorry, Kiyoko, I was just thinking about Asahi, I thought he'd be here." I said dejectedly. Kiyoko smiled at me with a knowing look on her face. 

"Maybe you miss him?" She said teasingly as I felt my face warm. "I'm just teasing. Today might not be the day for him. I don't think he will give up on the team but he took the loss to Date Tech pretty hard. Give him time, I'm sure what you said to him today was plenty of inspiration." She winked at me before looking back at the boys and their practice. 

Kiyoko was probably right. I pushed the thought aside vowing to talk to Asahi later and focused on my new team in front of me.


	6. F I V E

6:30 finally arrived along with a few members from Coach Ukai's neighbourhood association team. However, there weren't enough players for a game which meant the coach had to put Nishinoya on the opposing team. It wasn't until the game was about to start that Hinata, the little red-headed boy, noticed Asahi from outside. Immediately I perked up, ready to go and drag Asahi by his ear if need be but it turns out, Coach Ukai beat me to it, shouting at Asahi to get in and warm up. Asahi was quick to follow instructions and finally stepped into the gym. The tension between him, Suga, and Nishinoya came almost immediately. That was until Suga stepped forward as the setter.

"The very thought of a spike being blocked still scares me. That said, please let me set for you one more time, Asahi!" The setter instantly dissipated the tension in the gym, following that statement with encouraging words for Nishinoya and sparking competition with Kageyama. And with that, the battle started.

The game progressed with a few points for both sides but I could practically see the emotions on Asahi's face, especially his confliction. That was until all my attention was stolen by the ridiculous quick performed by Kageyama and Hinata. My eyes couldn't even process what had just happened and it appeared like everyone on the neighbourhood association team felt the same. I looked towards Asahi to see his reaction but I could see that the conflict within him has turned to determination. The next serve came from Hinata which was eventually set up for Asahi to spike. His spike was triple blocked by Kageyama, Tsukki, and Tanaka. However, it was effortlessly saved by Nishinoya, ready to be set perfectly by Suga. It seemed that the ball was falling forever as I wondered who Suga would pass to. Until Asahi called for the ball with everything in him. The spike seemed to occur in slow motion while I held my breath watching him in the air. He seemed almost ethereal as he was suspended in mid-air. I had never seen someone filled with so much grace yet so much power. His spike blasted straight through their hands before bouncing off the floor. 

"Nice job, Asahi!" I shouted from the side as the ball rolled. He looked at me and let out a bright smile before he was complimented by Suga and Nishinoya. The game continued with the neighbourhood association taking the first set. Seeing the talent that the first-years possess is truly jarring. The prodigal setter, Kageyama, paired with the energetic redhead, Hinata, makes an unexpectantly deadly combo. 

The second set started and soon after it began, it had to be stopped because of the way Hinata received Asahi's powerful spike; with his face. The pure terror and worry that Asahi was consumed by would have made me laugh if I wasn't worried about whether Hinata had a concussion or not. Insisting he was fine especially after getting yelled at by Kageyama, the game resumed. Each team remained blow for blow with a quick from Kageyama and Hinata every so often. Man, that kid is fast. Not to mention the pinpoint accuracy for Kageyama's serves. They were a match made in heaven. At least until the neighbourhood team gained a large lead with their jump float serve and Asahi taking the game with his spike. 

Since I couldn't really help clean, I did my best to stay out of the way, specifically, by speaking with Coach Ukai about what I noticed with the boys in terms of skill level, strengths, and weaknesses. He seems quite happy with the line-up of boys that he gets to work with, though his biggest deliberation is who to use as a setter in the starting line-up. 

"I think that Kageyama is definitely a prodigy. His sets have a peculiar accuracy that you definitely don't see every day. Not to mention the quick attack with Hinata, it's a very useful weapon to have. On the other side, Suga is a trusted and well-respected member of the team. The level of trust and communication he has with everyone on the team is unmatched. He knows his team and he knows what all of them are capable of. He is also extremely talented. The ability to effectively assess all members of your team and adjust your own playstyle to bring them to their full potential is rare." I finished my little rant while Coach Ukai seemed lost in thought.

"You're very insightful. What position did you use to play." He finally said.

"I was a wing spiker. The ace of my old team." I said proudly recalling my 'glory days'. He smiled at me appreciatively before going off to say goodbye to the neighbourhood association. 

"Hey y/n," I heard Asahi come from behind me. They had all put on their sweat pants and jackets, ready to go home. "Do you want me to walk you home? It's dark out and your leg is still in a cast."

"Yeah, I'd like that. Do you want to get food first though? I'm starving." I responded to Asahi while gathering my own bags.

"For sure, there is a ramen place not too far from here, let me just get my bags first."

"Perfect, it's a date," I casually announced before I had even processed the weight of those words. My face immediately became hot. "I-I mean, not like a d-date date but umm..." I trailed off avoiding eye contact.

"O-of course, not a date date, I mean we are j-just friends, right? We could even invite the other third years." His face was red while he scratched the back of his neck. 

"Y-yeah that's fine." With that, I walked away as fast as I could to Kiyoko while he moved towards Daichi and Suga. 

"Hey Kiyoko, wanna go get ramen?" I asked trying to calm myself down. There was a devious look in her eye as she turned me down immediately. 

"Nope, I gotta get home, in fact, Daichi and Suga have to go home too. I have to speak to them." She said loudly, getting the attention of the three boys.

"Yea Kiyoko is right, plus I'm tired. You two have fun, though!" Suga said, the same look in his eye, before grabbing Daichi and Kiyoko and high tailing it out of the gym. Asahi and I shared a confused look before shrugging it off and grabbing our stuff to leave. 

"Well, that was weird." He laughed as we walked side by side. 

"Tell me about it. They seemed awfully quick to get out of there." I laughed in return. "Oh, by the way, you looked great out there today. It's exhilarating watching you play." Despite the darkness of the night, I could kind of make out the redness on his face. 

"Yea, it felt good to be playing like that again," he said sheepishly. "What about you, do you miss playing?" 

"Ugh, every single day. This stupid leg. Soon, I'll give you a run for your money as the ace. Just wait until we have a match against each other." I joked.

"You wouldn't be able to keep up. Your leg holds you back. Actually, even without the injury, you aren't winning." He countered

"Just you wait, Azumane, you'll be eating those words after your defeat." We both laughed at that as we came up to the ramen place. We quickly grabbed seats, considering how empty the place was, and ordered some food. Throughout the entirety of dinner, we talked and laughed up until we came to an argument about who was paying for the meal. Of course, I asked him to come so I should pay, but he beat me to it when he pulled out his wallet first and paid while I was looking for mine.

"I pay next time, then. Deal?" 

"Whatever you say, Y/n." He teased with a wink. Finally, we got up to leave while I gave directions to my home. There was a comfortable silence between us until we ended up in front of the house.

"Thank you, Asahi. You really are the best." I said, angling my crutches, so I could hug him without making it too awkward.

"I should be thanking you. You really gave me the motivation to come today. I thought about pushing it off again, then I remembered what you said to me. Thank you." He smiled down at me. I didn't realize how close we were until I had to bring my head all the way back to meet his eyes. It was silent between us again and it honestly felt like we were moving closer until my brother slammed open the door to greet me. Asahi jumped away from me quickly while my brother ran down the driveway.

"Nee-chan! How was volleyball? Is your leg ok? Is the boy's team good? Who is this old guy you're with?" The last question hit Asahi right in the gut and I had to laugh at the expression on his face.

"Volleyball was good. My leg feels fine. The boy's team is excellent. And this is Azumane-san, be nice Ryu-Kun." I answered all his questions effortlessly while introducing the two.

"Do you play volleyball too? What position do you play? How old are you?" Ryu did not hesitate with the questions.

"I-I'm the ace, I play wing spiker and I am only 17." Asahi answered holding his hands out defensively. 

"You're the ace? Do you wanna play with me sometime? Usually, I play with Nee-chan but she went got her leg broken in the car accident." I had yet to tell anyone at school what had happened to my leg so when Asahi heard about the car accident he immediately looked at me with concern.

"Uhh, sure I'd love to." He smiled at my brother. Ryu let out a cheer before saying goodbye to Asahi and running inside. He must have sensed how uncomfortable I felt now that he knew about the accident because he didn't say anything about it.

"Umm, I realized I don't have your phone number." He said finally. I let out a breath of relief as I took out my phone to put his number into. Once we exchanged, he smiled at me again, said goodbye, and headed home. I went inside, said hello and good night to my father before getting ready for bed. I realized I needed to talk about the accident with someone. I was quite good at hiding it but my guilt was slowly gnawing at me and I didn't know how much more of it I could take.


	7. S I X

Getting my cast taken off has made me the happiest person in the world. These past few months have been torture for me. The lack of mobility and the overall feeling of uselessness overwhelmed me and the constant reminder of the accident put a toll on my mental health. Despite my abilities in hiding my emotions from everyone to see, my father noticed. I felt his eyes on me whenever I got frustrated. He always seemed ready to help me with anything. We have avoided discussing what had happened and I could see how that was affecting him too. He had started working longer in order to make himself more tired so he could actually fall asleep. I could see he missed my mother more than anything but I had no idea how to approach him and he had no idea how to approach me. So we sat in limbo skirting around each other and our feelings.

Despite the inner turmoil I have been facing, I was being distracted by the Karasuno team, most specifically, my third-year friends. The day after I got my cast taken off, we went on a picnic. They even let me play a little volleyball with them. The other boys on the team were entertaining, to say the least. The boundless energy that Tanaka, Noya, and Hinata have has kept me laughing and in a good mood whenever they were around. The quiet first-years had even warmed up to me. Yamaguchi was without a doubt the sweetest boy I have ever known and Tsukkishima was without a doubt the saltiest. Somehow the friendship really worked, though. Kageyama often asked me questions about my own volleyball experiences and promised to set for me one day. All the boys on the team made me feel right at home and welcome from day one. 

The most welcoming, of course, was Asahi. He never hesitated to help me even after my cast was off. He held my bags for me and walked me home every night from practice. He has come to my home so often, my brother is always ready to rush out to greet him with a volleyball in hand. It was usually too late for him to play with Ryusei, but he showed up today, Saturday, unexpectedly asking if I wanted to go to the park with him. 

"Asahi, what are you doing here?" I asked. I wasn't expecting this. Since it was Saturday, I had woken up about 10 minutes ago. Thankfully, I had already brushed my teeth, but I had not changed out of my pyjamas which were simply a big shirt and underwear. No bra. As soon as he saw me, his face immediately flamed up and his eyes were everywhere except for me. And of course, it wasn't until after this flare-up, that I noticed my state of undress. 

"I... um... I-I was wondering if y-you wanted to hang out. Nevermind, you were probably r-relaxing. I'll go." 

"No!" I reached to grab his arm as he turned to leave. His face turned even redder, I didn't even know that was possible. "I-I mean, no, I'll get changed. I'd love to hang out."

"Asahi-Kun!" Ryusei shouted from inside the house. He immediately pushed past me to stand in front of Asahi. "Are you hanging out with Nee-chan? Can I come? Can we play volleyball?" 

"Ryu-Kun, you can't invite yourself out with people when they didn't invite you." I crossed my arms as I glared down at my brother.

"N-no it's fine, I did promise we'd play, didn't I." Asahi smiled down at my brother and ruffled his hair. 

"Come on in, then," I said opening the door wider. "We both need to get ready for a day of volleyball with the great ace." I winked at Asahi. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll make us all something to eat when I come back." With that I went upstairs, pulling my shirt slightly to make sure I didn't end up flashing Asahi. Ryusei ran up the stairs behind me. I could practically feel his excitement as he bounced and jumped around. I thought about what to wear. Of course, we would be playing volleyball, but it would be outside and very casual, plus who knows what we would do after. After much deliberation, I settled on a pair of shorts and a tank top that I must say, were quite flattering. Playing sports for years certainly given me a rather nice body and clothes like these definitely enhanced certain areas. I put my hair up and swiped on some lip gloss before going downstairs with a pair of sneakers in hand. 

"Ryu-Kun, what do you want to eat?" I called from the kitchen. Asahi must have heard my voice because he showed up a moment later, taking a seat at the table.

"Eggs, Nee-chan, I need my protein so I can be strong." I rolled my eyes as Asahi chuckled. 

"He isn't wrong, his protein is very important." Asahi said. I rolled my eyes again.

"Don't go encouraging him." I pulled out the carton of eggs, rice, some salmon, and a frying pan and got to work. If he wanted protein, I'd give him protein. My hands moved fast as I had multiple things on the stove at once with enough food for Ryu, Asahi, and me. 

"I didn't know you could cook." Asahi said from behind me. I hadn't even realized he had gotten up or how close he was to me as I turned to look at him. He stared intently at the stove and everything on it.

"Uhh, yea. I get it from my dad." I said turning quickly, returning to the breakfast. 

"Speaking of your parents, where are they?" He asked, remaining where he was behind me.

"Work," I said tersely. It wasn't a complete lie. My dad really was at work, he probably wouldn't be back until 5.

"Oh ok, what do they do?" I was somewhat unsure about what to say. Luckily, I was saved by Ryu who came rushing in, decked out in full sportswear including my old knee pads from middle school. 

"What are you wearing?" I sighed. It wasn't just my old knee pads. He wore an old jersey of mine which was too big for him, as well as an arm brace that was also too big for him, and a Nike headband, despite the fact he didn't have hair to push back with a headband.

"I got ready to play volleyball!" He insisted, looking rather proud of himself. Asahi struggles to hold in his laugh. 

"I think he looks rather good." Asahi went to stand beside Ryu ready to defend him, his arms crossed over his chest. 

"Yea! See Asahi-Kun knows fashion!" Ryu said with his arms crossed over his chest, copying Asahi.

"Put on a shirt that actually fits you and take off my arm brace," I said turning back to the food, ready to take it off the stove.

"But Nee-channnnn!" Cried Ryu, already whining.

"Now." My tone was unrelenting as he pouted and dragged himself upstairs. Asahi finally let out his laugh coming up behind me once again, ready to help me with the food. 

"He looked good." Asahi said finally, grabbing the plates I handed to him to put on the table. 

"Shut up," He laughed even harder before sitting down. Ryu finally came downstairs in some normal clothes, however, the knee pads stayed. I knew I wouldn't be able to convince him to take them off. Sometimes you have to choose your battles. He sat down sullenly, picking his chopsticks and already shoving his face. As soon as he started eating, his mood lifted. Food was his weakness. Soon enough he was babbling happily about volleyball and Asahi and how cool he was as if he was never upset in the first place. After we ate, Asahi and I gathered dishes while Ryu wiped the table. We finished the dishes quickly, put on our shoes, and were off.


	8. S E V E N

We walked to the park together after I locked the house up and texted my father about where we were going. My father knew of Asahi despite not having met him. Ryu really could not shut up about him. The walk wasn't long, maybe 10 minutes. When we got there, it was somewhat busy. A few people were enjoying picnics, some were lying on the grass and laughing, and some were in couples, probably on a date. We reached an empty plot of the grass and Ryu was ready to rumble. He has loved volleyball for as long as I have played it and the idea of playing with someone who wasn't me was very appealing to him.

It was mainly a game of bump back and forth. We couldn't play an actual game but Ryu was fine with anything. Eventually, it evolved to 'monkey in the middle' and that got intense. Fast. It started with me in the middle but I switched out with Asahi quickly. Although Ryu was only 10, he has been playing for a while. Not just with me, but his elementary team, so his control and receives weren't terrible and I knew they would get better with age and practice. Ryu and I kept Asahi on his toes for a while, with sneaky tricks and slight cheating. He was a big guy, some dirty tactics had to be brought in. He caught on quickly to that and brought his own dirty tactic by picking up Ryu, throwing him over his shoulder, and stealing the ball from him before he could pass it back to me. 

"You cheater!" Ryu said while giggling from Asahi's shoulder, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

"I am not the cheater here. You threw the ball under my legs so I couldn't get it with my hands!" Asahi countered, then started tickling my brother.

"Nee-chan, save me!" Ryu begged while gasping for breath. 

"I can't do that, you're the monkey!" I called, laughing myself. With that Asahi put Ryu down and set the ball to me. The rally between us went on for a while since Ryu was too short to get the balls from the air. He came up with a new plan of action and jumped into my arms as the ball came towards me, then he jumped down and picked it from the floor. That sneaky guy.

Ryu and Asahi seemed to have ganged up on me because I couldn't even get close to the ball. By now, they had moved closer to each other, keeping me from being in the direct middle and stealing it. Stealing Ryu's idea from before, I practically tackled Asahi as the ball was headed to him, however, he was smarter than I had been, and held me, preventing me from picking the ball up from the ground. He then threw me over his shoulder.

"Ryu-Kun hit her with the ball!" Now I was at their mercy as Asahi held me while Ryu kept throwing the ball at me. We were all laughing until Asahi put me down.

"You guys are so evil." I tried to pout but giggles kept escaping. 

"Team boys! Girls suck!" Ryu cheered while high-fiving Asahi. 

"Whatever, I don't like you guys anyways." 

"Awww you don't mean that y/n," Asahi said throwing his arm over my shoulder. I raised my eyebrow at him. 

"I'll buy you ice cream." He persuaded. He really knew my weaknesses. 

"Fine. Anyways I got caught on purpose. The ice cream was my goal from the beginning." 

"Sure it was." He winked before picking up the volleyball and throwing Ryu over his shoulder. "Let's go get food now."

~~~~~

We ended up going to a little strip mall for early dinner/ late lunch as well. It was now 4 and we had just walked around for a while, not really looking for something to do until we came up to a restaurant. We ordered our food and unsurprisingly, Ryu started talking about volleyball again. He really loves this sport. 

"What's it like being the ace?" He asked while his mouth was filled with soba. I shot him a look that told him to stop talking with his mouthful.

"Well, it's a lot of pressure. I have to make sure I score a bunch of points and get past all the blockers with my spike. I love it, though. Plus, I am pretty powerful so that's a benefit." He joked as he enjoyed his ramen. 

"Did you know Nee-chan was her team's ace? She was amazing! I'm gonna be an ace like you guys. My mom used to say I'd be as good an ace as Nee-chan!" Ryu said and Asahi looked at me. I don't know how he does it. He can sense the shift in my mood almost immediately and regards me with concern in his eyes. Ryu doesn't stop there though. "I wished she was here to see it happen, though." With that, the mood changed completely. Ryu picked at his soba and his head was down completely. He got up from the table and said he was going to the bathroom. I could see him wipe his eyes.

Soon it was just Asahi and me at the table. I didn't even look up at him. He put his hand over mine on the table.

"Y/n, look at me." I brought my head up and met his eyes. "Are you ok?" It was like that simple question set me off. Instantly tears began to well up in my eyes and I brought my hand up to wipe my eyes before they fell.

"I'm fine, Asahi. Thanks." I gave him a small smile. I pulled out my wallet and started to bring out money to pay for dinner.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I think we should go home, my dad will be back soon," I said, once again not meeting his eyes. I felt as though he could see my vulnerability. He didn't say anything at that as he brought out his own wallet.

"Ok then, I'll pay. I invited you out today," he said.

"Didn't I say I'd pay the next time?" I questioned, still avoiding his eyes. Ryu came out of the bathroom and finished his food. I announced we were leaving and we all walked back towards our home. It was a quiet and rather tense walk. Ryu seemed to be feeling a bit better because he was setting the ball to himself as he walked. Asahi kept giving me looks. I could feel them, it almost reminded me of my mom. When we arrived home, I saw my dad's car in the driveway. He must have gotten off a bit earlier today. Ryu hugged Asahi and thanked him for today before running inside ready to greet our father. It was just Asahi and me. I made no move to go in and I stared at the ground, wondering how to say goodbye and look at him without crying.

"Y/n," He sounded serious. "Please look at me." He brought his hand to my face. "You don't have to tell me anything, but I can see you are hurting. You don't need to talk to me but talk to someone. Please." At that, I practically threw myself into him, burying my face in his chest.

"Thank you, I appreciate you Asahi. So much." He slowly wrapped his arms around me as he put his head on top of mine. He was so warm and so comforting. 

"Will you talk to me?" He asked quietly. 

"I will soon. I have to talk to someone else first." I replied, knowing I needed to have a conversation with my dad before talking about my mom's death and the guilt I harbour from it. Just thinking about it had my eyes stinging.

"Just let me know and I will be over at any time. It doesn't matter if it 2:00 am or 2:00 pm," He insisted, squeezing me tighter.

"Thank you," I whispered into his chest before pulling away. 

"I forgot to buy you that ice cream." He said trying to lighten the mood.

"I guess we will have to hang out again so you can buy me what I deserve." I joked.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled at me.

"Is that Asahi?" I heard from my house. I turned and saw my dad approaching, a gentle smile on his face.

"Uhh, hello s-sir." A light blush coated Asahi's face as he bowed low towards my father.

"Oh none of that, I have heard a lot about you, especially from Ryu. I think you're his new favourite ace. Sorry, hun." My father joked smiling at us.

"As if I could ever be replaced, we all know I am the better ace here." I declared. Asahi laughed before shooting an 'in your dreams' look at me. 

"You're alright. I haven't even Asahi play, neither has Ryu. That just shows how much confidence we have in you." My mouth immediately dropped open and Asahi laughed even louder. 

"I do not need this slander on my name. I will make you eat those words, and you better stop laughing." I glared but a smile threatened to break on my face.

"We don't need your empty threats y/n. It was nice to meet you, I should be heading home now.  
" Asahi said, ganging up on me with my father.

"You're welcome to stay. It would be nice to properly meet the young man who has captured the hearts of both my children." Both our faces instantly flamed up. 

"Asahi has practice tomorrow and needs to sleep, dad."

"It's only 4:30-." 

"I need a lot of sleep." Asahi interrupted my father, his face turning even redder. 

"Of course, of course, you volleyball players and your sleep. Please come over sometime for dinner, then we can get acquainted." My father smirked and waved as Asahi already started backing up. 

"Will do, bye then." Asahi sped away waving over his shoulder.

"I like him," Dad said putting an arm around my shoulder and heading inside.

"I can see that," I said, my face still warm. Thinking back to my conversation with Asahi, I turned to my father.

"Dad, we need to talk."


	9. E I G H T

"Dad, we need to talk." At those words, my father stopped to look at me. He held my eye then nodded his head. 

"Once Ryu goes to sleep." Since it was only 4:30, we waited. We watched T.V together but there was tension in the air. We didn't say anything to each other. We just sat on the couch and stared blankly at the television. I tried to imagine what to say to my father but I had nothing. Anything I came up with just didn't seem right. Finally, it was 9:00 and my father sent Ryu to shower then to bed. MY father and I stayed on the couch, a terror loomed over us. 

"I miss her." He finally said. I didn't say anything back, knowing he was going to continue. "I miss everything about your mother. She was the light of my life and now she is gone. I would do anything in this world for more time with her. And I am so sad, Y/n. A day hasn't gone by where I have gone to sleep without crying and then woken up and cried some more. I never wanted you guys to see me like that so I work. I haven't been who you have needed me to be and I am so sorry hun." I moved closer to my dad and he wrapped his arms around me. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay, dad I get it. She only died 5 months ago. I never expected you to be one hundred percent. I asked to talk because I feel so guilty. She supported everything I did. She went above and beyond and I took her for granted. I never even said thank you. I just expected her to pick me up from practices and come to my games. If she couldn't come I'd be so upset and I would be even worse if we lost. That game we lost, she wasn't there for the first set. Then we lost the next one. I was so angry, dad. And then she died taking me home. I am sorry I took her from you and Ryu. I am so sorry." By now I was bawling into my father's chest as he held me. He rocked me back and forth like he did when I was young and he kissed the top of my head.

"It was not your fault, don't ever think like that. Your mother would hate to see you like this, consumed with guilt over something you would never be able to control. She left us early but you did not take her from us. You must remember that, hun. You were passionate over something you loved and that's all she ever wanted to see. She wanted to see you grow and become stronger and you did. She was so proud of you and she knew how much you loved her support. You didn't have to say thank you, she knew, we all did." I felt his chest shake beneath me and I knew he was crying too. We stayed like that for the next hour talking about my mother and crying in each other's arms. 

~~~~~

When my father and I finally said good night, I felt a huge weight lift off of my shoulders. This guilt that I had been carrying could be shared and no longer held me down. I changed into my sleepwear then I remembered what I said to Asahi and pulled out my phone to text him

Y/n:

Hey, I talked to my dad. You up?

Asahi:

Yea, are you ok?

He responded rather quickly.

Y/n:

I'm fine. I want to talk to you though. Can you facetime?

He didn't even respond to the text but I got a call instantly. I quickly put my phone on my desk and grabbed my wireless headphones. I answered and I saw him sitting at his desk, his hair pulled back with a few strands escaping. From what I could see, he wore a black tank top, showing off his arms and had headphones of his own. His room was rather nice looking with a neutral colour scheme of light brown and white.

"Hi, how are you?" I said shyly, smiling at the screen. He returned the smile.

"Hi. I'm good. How are you?" 

"I'm fine. How has your night been?" He smiled at me.

"It's been good. As much as I love the small talk with you, you said you needed to talk to me?" I sighed at that and pulled the blanket that I keep on my chair over my body. 

"Ok, ok. As you may have guessed, my mom is no longer with us. She died in an accident about five months ago. I was in the car too. It was how I broke my leg. We were driving back from one of my volleyball games. My team had lost against the Shirtorizawa girl's team and I was furious. She kept looking at me, I knew she was concerned but I said nothing to her. I was mad at her, I was mad at myself for losing, mad at my team. I knew she was looking at me, I saw her reflection. It was the last thing I saw before we went spinning and then I blacked out. The front of the car crushed in, I honestly couldn't tell you how. When I woke up next I was in the hospital." I looked at him intently. I willed myself not to cry on camera, I have cried enough today. He didn't say anything as he looked at me. 

"I'm coming over, meet me outside." Then he hung up. I was confused and a little hurt. I had told him on facetime for a reason. If I saw him in person as I told this story, I knew I would cry. It's not as though I could turn him away now. He was already moving. It was 12 am and my father had gone to bed. I threw on some shorts and quietly slipped out of my house, sitting down at the end of the driveway. I had underestimated how cold it would be but I didn't want to risk going back in and waking up my family. He showed up not too long after that, we didn't live far from each other. I got up from my seated position as he walked towards me. No words were said between us and he pulled me into his arms. "I am so sorry."

I buried my face in his chest. He had a large hoodie and his warmth instantly engulfed me. I melted into his arms as he rubbed my back.

"Thank you." We pulled away from each other and the cold air instantly hit me. We sat down by each other and I tried not to shiver. Of course, being the observant man he is, Asahi noticed and was quick to hand his hoodie to me. He wore that black tank top from earlier and I instantly felt bad. I tried to hand it back to him but he refused to accept it. 

"Put it on." He commanded, giving me a pointed look. I sighed as I pulled it over my head. It even smelt like him. Despite the darkness of the night, I could see his cheeks redden as he looked at me and he scratched the back of his neck, a telltale sign that he was flustered. 

"Happy now?" I said sarcastically. He simply smiled at me before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me into his shoulder. It was my turn to feel flustered as I felt my face heat up, thankfully he couldn't see me. 

"Do you want to tell me about her?" He asked sweetly. I nodded my head against his shoulder.

"She was amazing, Asahi." I sighed. "The most supportive and understanding person I have ever known. She never failed to let me know that she had my back no matter what. She seemed to be good at almost everything. A lot of the activities I got into when I was younger were based on her activities. She couldn't cook for shit, though. And volleyball wasn't really her sport but she stayed up and helped me practice almost every night. And she was so beautiful. I don't really look like her, I have her eyes though and her talent, that's what my dad says. Everything else is from my dad. Ryu looks like her though except for his hair. I used to wish that I would just change one day and look like her." I laughed a little. 

"She sounds like she was wonderful, y/n. And you don't need to look like her, you are already beautiful." I lifted my head from his shoulder and we held eye contact. In the back of my mind, I thought about how good he looks with the moonlight and his face was slightly flushed. I wondered if I looked the same to him. Then I remembered the conversation we were having and I smiled shyly at him. I put my head back on his shoulder and closed my eyes. We stayed like that for a while until I recalled the time. 

"I should go in. You have an early practice tomorrow and I also need to be there." He sighed dramatically, slowly pulling himself up. 

"Why can't you let me be comfortable?" My face heated again as I rolled my eyes at him. 

"Get comfortable in your own home. My house sees you too much." I joked. He smiled down at me before he began walking away from me backward.

"Good night, y/n. Sleep well." He waved before turning around and walking in the direction of his house. I waved after him before turning to my own house. I snuck back in and up to my room before collapsing on my bed. Realizing how tired I was from this eventful day, my eyes began to feel heavy. My last thought before succumbing to darkness was about how my mom would have liked Asahi too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: Ok so this one was pretty sad. I almost cried myself but we do love seeing character growth and the acknowledgement of our feelings.


	10. N I N E

The next morning when I woke up to my alarm, I was immediately struck by the level of comfort I was getting from this hoodie. The second thing that struck me was that I fell asleep wearing Asahi's hoodie and that I had not returned it to him after he left yesterday. With these two thoughts, my face instantly flared and I held my hands over my face trying to calm down. Of course, that did nothing as my thoughts played the conversation from yesterday over and over again. A bright smile sprang up on my face as I readied myself for practice. Despite the fact my leg was out of the cast, I still had physio, and volleyball was a no. I couldn't wait for it to be over so I could have a practice with the boys, it has been too long since I have played competitively. 

I wore a pair of volleyball shorts, a t-shirt I had gotten from an old tournament, and my Karasuno manager jacket, then folded up Asahi's hoodie and put it in my bag, went downstairs, and grabbed a quick breakfast before leaving. Ryu and dad were still asleep considering it was their "lazy Sunday". I walked to school and entered the gym to see some of the guys already there and playing. Tanaka, Hinata, and Kageyama were some early risers. I nearly yawned at the thought. 

"Good morning Edinam-senpai!" Hinata and Kageyama cried in unison. 

"Good morning guys, how are you?" I asked before putting my bag down and grabbing the clipboard Kiyoko and I shared to keep notes on the boys. 

"I'm good!" They cried in unison, again. I chuckled slightly and shrugged off my jacket to put in my bag. I watched them practice as more people began to trickle in. Their quick was as astounding as ever but I knew more practice was needed in other dimensions for the duo. The practice match against their long-time rivals from Tokyo, Nekoma, would be next week and I knew they were going to need to really bring it. Having seen how Nekoma plays myself, I knew just how formidable they were. As my thoughts went to the other school, Daichi, Suga, and Asahi walked in. 

"Hey, Edinam. how are you?" Suga asked cheerfully when they came up to speak to me. 

"I'm good, how are you guys?"

"We are all good. Everyone's excited about the practice match. Will you be staying at school or going home?" Daichi asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I live close but if Kiyoko decides to stay, it would be like a sleepover. Oh! speaking of sleepovers, here you go, Asahi. I forgot to return it yesterday. I even fell asleep in it, I was really tired sorry." I turned around towards my bag to get his hoodie. 

"Thanks. I even forgot that I had given it to you until I got home." He chuckled lightly before accepting it from my hands.

"You guys hung out yesterday? Without us?" Suga held his hand to his chest as if in pain. 

"Drama queen. We just went to the park with my brother." I said laughing, omitting the parts about my mom and the late-night conversation with Asahi.

"Why haven't we met your brother? Do we not matter Edinam? Does my friendship mean nothing to you?" Suga pressed, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes.

"You should go into acting Suga. And have you ever walked me home? Nope, you ditch me. Asahi is my only real friend here."

"So we are just going to pretend like I don't exist?" Daichi said, adding to the joke.

"Yup, I said what I said." Moving beside Asahi with my arms crossed over my chest. 

"We will remember this Edinam. Don't ask me for anything ever again." Daichi said seriously. We looked at each other before bursting into laughter. 

"Go practice, you are spending too much time messing around with your manager." Coach Ukai said from behind us. With that, the boys left with a wave and Coach Ukai and I got to talking about the starting line-up. He was still unsure about the setters and I gently reminded him about the match against our rivals.

"Ugh don't remind me, I already feel the pressure as it is." He groaned. I laughed and moved into practice to work on their receives.

~~~~~

Over the next week, practices were scheduled every day until Nekoma arrived. We moved to the training camp in the evening.

"Edinam and Kiyoko, can I ask you two to help cook tonight for dinner?" Takada- sensei asked, already wearing an apron. Kiyoko had agreed to stay with me at the training camp. 

"Of course. I am a pretty good chef if I do say so myself." I said breezily following sensei to the kitchen area with Kiyoko. He handed aprons to the two of us and we got to work.

After working for about an hour, we set the food and cutlery on the tables while Takeda called for the boys to come and eat. The ravenous monsters demolished the food within seconds and came asking for seconds and even thirds while Kiyoko and I distributed the curry until it was completely finished. Luckily we had eaten before the boys were called in. 

"Edinam, Kiyoko, have you eaten? Have some of my food." Asahi came up beside me with his bowl of rice. 

"It's ok, we ate beforehand. You can't have anymore though, it's all gone sorry." Kiyoko said before moving the pots to the sink to begin washing. 

"Oi! Our managers and Takeda-sensei made this meal for us. Let's clean up." Asahi smiled down at us and the boys instantly moved into action. It was nice to have to clean up after we did the cooking so Kiyoko and I went for our bath. Relaxing in the tub was definitely something we needed.

"That was nice of Asahi to get the boys to clean up. I was dreading it." Kiyoko had her eyes closed as she leaned against the edge of the bath.

"I know right. I thought we would have leftovers too so it might be fewer dishes. These guys are animals." I responded.

"Tell me about it." We laughed together before falling into a silence, relaxing in the tub.

"We should get out and set up our sleeping area." Kiyoko finally said. 

"I guess. This was too relaxing. We should go to a hot spring together. I bet that would feel even better."

"That would be so amazing, it's a date." She and I laughed as we got from the water to go and change.

The next day, the boys were up early for practice once again. Their receives have gotten better but they still need work of course. Coach Ukai sent them on their run and Kiyoko and I decided to join. She was a former track star and despite the fact that I am still in physio, a light jog never hurt anyone. Some of the boys didn't get that memo, however as Hinata passed us all with a full sprint, screaming the entire way. Daichi mumbled something under his breath about his boundless energy while the rest of us laughed. Daichi, Suga, Kiyoko, Asahi, and I all moved at the same pace though I suspected they slowed a little because of me. 

"That kid really is something else," I said with a small laugh.

"Tell me about it. And he's worse when he is with Kageyama. I'm glad they weren't running beside each other." Asahi said from beside me.

"Now I only have to look for one of our kids," Suga said, shaking his head as he ran ahead of us calling Hinata's name.

"Did he just say our kids?" Daichi asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"He is the mom of the team after all," Kiyoko said. She had led the run. The stamina of this girl was unbelievable. 

"And Daichi is the dad." I finished.

Kiyoko, Asahi, and I laughed while Daichi grumbled the rest of the run.

The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful. Kiyoko and I helped with dinner again, this time, we ate with the boys and laughed until we went to bed.

The next couple of days were focused on their training and now that the starting line-up was out, there was a shift in the mood that created a sense of determination in everyone. Finally, the fated day arrived where we stood face to face with Nekoma. 

Hinata seemed to know their setter which rose tension between Tanaka and a boy from their team that seemed to bring the exact same energy Tanaka brought. Both of them were easily held back by Suga and some other boy, that once again, brought the exact same energy Suga brought. The similarities between the members of both teams were frightening. Even the captains were the same. I could see Daichi and Kuroo assessing each other as the two shook hands.

The boys changed into their uniforms and they got on the court. The fated 'Battle of the Garbage Dumpster' was about to begin.


	11. T E N

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game against Nekoma + Asahi comes over for dinner!

The battle started strong, in Karasuno's favour. The game started with a quick from Kageyama and Hinata but they were quick to switch it up with Hinata as a decoy and Asahi taking the spike. This continued with a three-point lead until Nekoma called their first timeout. However, when they got back from the timeout, I noticed a change in the blockers. Instead of blocking the ace, they were dedicated to Hinata. I felt my anxiety rise as their number 7 began to keep pace with our movements. Their setter, who I knew was Kenma, was throwing the boys for a loop. With clever deceptive tricks and a keen eye, it was never obvious what he was going to do. Soon enough, Nekoma was ahead of Karasuno. Their receives were excellent and it was obvious that everyone on their team was constantly thinking, especially their setter. They won the set with a block to Hinata's quick. I wish I could say it was a shock but their number 7 was quite fast and had gotten used to the quick.

The second set was rough. Number 7 was on Hinata like a fly on honey. Anyone else would have felt completely discouraged but a smile remained on his face as he worked even harder on the court to find a solution. It wasn't working though. Despite the loss of points, the team remained supportive of Hinata, giving him this time to grow. 

The second set was filled with a lot of back and forth from both sides. Hinata and Kageyama learned to adjust their quick while Nekoma brought out new tricks to throw us off some more. The set came to match point for Nekoma with a chance ball for us. The ball was set perfectly for the deviant quick but Nekoma's setter dug it out at the last second, giving them the win. It didn't stop there, however. The two teams played each other for hours on end until the sun went down. If it were up to Hinata, they would play more, but Nekoma had to leave to go home. The two teams gathered for a meeting with the other coaches and I walked with Coach Ukai, Takada-sensei, and Kiyoko towards the other team. I flashed the boys a smile as I walked past them and gave them a thumbs up. After the talk between the two teams, we all helped clean up. 

Outside, we could see how the two teams got along. Tanaka and Yamamoto became best buds after talking to each other for a bit. Not entirely sure what they bonded over but Kiyoko and I were sneezing whenever the two were beside each other. The intensity between Coach Ukai and the other coaches was so strong it was almost funny, but they were squeezing each other's hands so hard, I thought they might break. The same situation was occurring with the captains.

"Daichi, don't be immature. Be nice." I called from behind him. Either he didn't hear me or he was ignoring me because the contest between the two went on. I think it was the latter option.

"Hey, y/n." Asahi came up beside me. 

"Hi, Asahi. You played really well today, good job." I smiled up at him while he drank his water. 

"We still lost though. I need to get a lot better if I am going to be called the ace." The determination on his face was admirable and I couldn't help but think how cute he looks.

"Of course Mr. Ace. Now walk me home. I am sure my dad has something nice set up for dinner now that the training camp is done." I linked my arm with his and waved goodbye to everyone.

"Bye y/n-san, bye Asahi." The team yelled at us as we left. The walk back was quiet. I imagined he was tired and didn't want to speak to me. It was a comfortable silence though, I felt rather content in his presence. When we reached my house, Asahi looked ready to say goodbye, but before he could, I pulled him up the driveway. 

"Hi, I'm home! I brought a guest too."

"Nee-chan! How was volleyball? Did they win the practice match? Who is the guest? Asahi!" Ryu, energetic as always came rushing down the stairs with his questions. 

"Hi Ryu-Kun, how are you?" Asahi asked as he came down to hug us.

"I'm good! I have done my volleyball practice while you guys were away. I bet I'll be able to win against the both of you soon!" Ryu said excitedly

"That you will, Ryu. For now, let them enter the house before you attack them." Dad said as he came out of the kitchen. "Hi hun, and hello Asahi, how was the training camp?"

"Hi L/n-san, the training camp was good, it was our first time playing as a team and it's going to be interesting to see how we grow from here."

"I'm glad to hear it. I can't wait to watch you guys play one day." My father smiled at him. "Are you staying for dinner? I made a lot of food and you are always welcome." Asahi looked hesitant to accept and he looked down at me. I nodded up at him.

"Sure, I'll just call my mom first." He stepped outside quickly and I went upstairs to set my bags down and change out of the clothes I had been wearing all day. I quickly pulled on a pair of sweats and a tank top then went downstairs ready to dive into the food. Everyone was already sitting so I was the last to come in and sat beside Asahi who had also changed into the spare clothes that he had. We all spent dinner laughing and conversing. My father and Asahi got to know each other better while Ryu and I argued over the last pieces of food. Since Dad had cooked, I offered to clean up and Asahi offered to help me. Dad and Ryu moved to the living room to watch a movie while Asahi and I moved around the kitchen together and cleaned up. Despite his large size, he was easy to maneuver around. We moved together quite easily, it seemed we knew what the other was about to do making cleaning go a lot faster. We finished rather quickly and as I dried the last of the dishes, I turned to him.

"Are you gonna stay and watch a movie with us?"

"I don't know, I kinda feel like I am intruding. Don't you want to spend time with them alone?" He asked as he finished the last dish in the sink.

"It's nice having you around. They both really like you. It's not often that I bring friends home. I was really focused on volleyball and school, making sure I had good grades and was the best on the court. I had friends on my team but they more teammates than actual friends. I barely keep in touch with them. You are my first close friend." I said to him then went to put the dish away. He had stopped moving and was staring at me.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious

"I'm glad I met you." He said with a smile "Okay, I'll stay. Not for long though." He then walked to the living room. My face flushed thinking back to the smile he had given me. I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair before entering the living room. I took a seat beside Asahi on the big couch and we all watched the movie together. It was some family comedy. It was quite funny and had all of us laughing. At one scene, Asahi laughed particularly hard and I turned to look at him. He really was handsome, especially with the big smile and his face lit up from his laughter. I smiled a little to myself before turning back to the screen.

When the movie finally finished, I walked Asahi to the door while dad and Ryu said their goodbye's from their spots on the couch. 

"Thanks for staying today, it was nice hanging out with you like this," I said leaning against the wall while he put on his shoes.

"Yea, your family is great. You have yet to meet my mom. You should come over sometime." He stood and smiled down at me.

"That would be nice." I smiled up at him as silence fell between us. We remained there for a few moments just looking at each other until Asahi cleared his throat.

"I should get going." He said and he pulled his bag over his shoulder. 

"Yea, umm, I'll see you on Monday." He waved at me, shouted goodbye to my family, then was out the door. I locked it behind me then went to say goodnight to my family. I went upstairs, took a long bath then lay in bed thinking about a certain handsome guy with a man bun until I fell asleep.


	12. E L E V E N

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first matches of the tournament!

Soon enough, after constant practice and a little surprise from Kiyoko, we were headed to our first set of games in the tournament. Going in, I knew there would be a ton of rumours circulating the boys as the "clipped crows'' but I knew from watching them, that title had been shed. Our boys were ready for everything that came their way and Kiyoko's motivation gave them the boost they needed. As we walked into the building, all eyes were on us. The imposing nature of the boys on our team (specifically Kageyama, Tanaka, and Asahi, though it is unintentional.) had the other schools standing far away from us. I stood beside Kiyoko, and being the beauty that she was, she swiftly gathered a bunch of attention from the other boys which made Tanaka and Noya circle her to protect her from the stares. She was having none of that though, swiftly smacking them and moving back beside me.

"You are too pretty for your own good, Kiyoko," I said while giggling behind my hand. She hit the back of my head with the clipboard and I laughed louder. We all met in front of the gym where Date Tech appeared in front of us. This big guy with no eyebrow gave us a hard stare before turning towards Asahi and pointing at him. I felt my face scrunch up with anger and was ready to tell him off before I felt Asahi's arm in front of me, holding me back with one arm and Noya with the other. A heavy stare off between the two ensured and I looked back and forth between him and Asahi. He was the one who destroyed his confidence as an ace and team member. He would pay for that today.

"I am so sorry!" A shorter guy with dark hair came running forward and grabbed the arm of no eyebrows. Then the brunette from beside them started pulling his arm too.

"I am so sorry, the dude has a habit of singling out a team's ace." He said with an easy smile on his face. "So I'd like you to get good and ready to lose again." He continued to smile and left with their team, probably towards their change room. The anger within me was ready to bubble over but I turned to Asahi and just about died laughing when I saw his face.

"You'll be okay, Asahi. Remember you aren't alone out there and I'll be cheering for you the whole time." I beamed up at him and pat his shoulder before joining Kiyoko again. The smile on her face told me she had something to say but instead, she shook her head and moved towards our own area. 

The boys had changed into their uniforms and we moved inside to warm up. I went to the balcony with Kiyoko to help set up the banner. Despite the lack of fans for our team, this banner would work to help get them through until more people started coming in. When we got down, I helped fill water bottles then I went to throw balls for the boy's practice. I stood with Asahi, Suga, and Daichi.

"Are you guys nervous?" I asked while setting the ball to Daichi.

"Yea, of course, we are but I know that as a team, we are going to do great," Suga said with a confident look in his eyes. I smiled at them then the ref called for captains. We moved back to the bench, gathering the balls as well. With a quick pep talk from the coach and the cheer, they were on the court. The first point came easily with a solid spike from Tanaka and a whole lot of yelling. The next point was dug out by Noya and was bumped to Asahi to blow away the triple blockers on him. The comments from the audience about his age and older appearance had me cracking up.

"Don't mind, Asahi, you don't look a day over 25," I called. Suga laughed and Kiyoko hit me with the clipboard again. Asahi stuck his tongue out at me before getting back into the focus of the game. And the third point was taken by Hinata and his beautiful quick. I scanned the gym looking at the reactions and felt my smirk grow. The clipped crows were no more.

~~~~~

This game was taken rather easily by Karasuno, not to diminish the valiant effort put on by Tokonami. I almost wanted to root for them and to see their faces afterwards was heart-wrenching. That being said, I was so proud of the boys and I immediately hugged them after the game. 

"Excellent job, guys. I am so proud." I jumped up and threw my arms around Asahi's and Daichi's necks considering the height difference between us. They wrapped their arms around my waist to keep me supported.

"Thank you, Senpai!" Kageyama and Hinata bowed before me before taking a volleyball and moving outside for some more practice. I would never understand those two. The energy they always have makes me feel lazy. 

"Your next match is against Date Tech, are you ready for that?" I asked, though my question was directed to the team, I was looking at Asahi.

"We will be fine, y/n. We will go far in this tournament." Daichi said before removing my arm from his neck to go and find Suga. 

"And you? How are you feeling?" I backed up from Asahi so I could meet his eye easier.

"Honestly, I am nervous, but as you said, I have my team out there and we have new tricks up our sleeves. It's also a plus to have our cool manager cheering for me on the side." He smiled down at me.

"You know it." I winked at him. "Let's go, we need to start warming up soon." I pulled the volleyball cart behind me and grabbed my bag. We got into the gym and set up two lines for receiving practice. Since they had me, a former volleyball player/ former ace, we were able to do this exercise a lot faster and do it more often. It also gave me an opportunity for a little practice so I could stay in shape. I set on having at least one good match with the boys before I graduate. My spike wasn't 100% sharp though and at Noya's turn, it wobbled a little. However, being the extra little shit that he is, he brought out his special move "Rolling Thunder". He may be an impressive libero but he was extra as fuck. 

The game started and I was anxious. Date Tech seemed to be right behind Hinata and had gotten a hand on his spike. The next two points were luck on our part. The Iron Wall was definitely formidable and they would be a tough opponent. The game turned in our favour as Kageyama and Hinata brought out the deviant quick, shocking everyone in the gym and widening the smirk on my face. Take that, Date Tech. When the quick came the second time, they were fast to call a time out and I noticed all eyes on Hinata. With their minds on the deviant quick, the regular quick flew over them, giving us another point. When Date Tech finally got a block in, Kageyama used Hinata as the decoy and Ashai was flying behind him. His form was beautiful and there was a completely open space for him. 

The boys took the first set not long after that. However, Date Tech was getting accustomed to our quick.

"We need to keep Hinata away from No-eyebrows," I said with my arm crossed over my chest. 

"I agree, but in doing so, we have to move the rotation around while making sure we have at least one of our best attackers up front. And that would put Asahi in direct conflict with the wall." I looked over at Asahi who was walking off the court.

"I think he can handle it. He has grown from the last time he has faced the wall. He understands he isn't doing it alone. He can't do it alone. I have faith in him." Coach Ukai nodded at my words before writing down the changes. I stood beside Coach as he explained the change. I watched Asahi as he processed the information, wondering how it makes him feel.

"We can't keep depending on Hinata, either. I'll prove that I am up for the task of being the ace." The look of determination on his face filled my heart with warmth as I looked at him. My smile was so wide, it hurt my face. I tuned out what was said after that and my eyes remained on Asahi. He was truly amazing. 

The second set started and they exchanged blow for blow easily. This matchup was definitely taking a toll on some of the boys but it went without saying, they were determined to win this. With Karasuno riding the momentum, Date Tech was quick to call a time out. The game continued to raise my blood pressure after that. I stayed on the edge of my seat cheering excitedly when Hinata came to the front and my face fell dejectedly whenever we were harshly blocked. This cycle continued until we got the match point. I was standing at this point, pacing back and forth with my hands twitching as if I was the one in the game. With Hinata out, the pressure fell onto our ace. All eyes were on him and I felt anxiety seize me. I wholeheartedly believed in him but the pressure was coming in strong. The battle for this last point was a joust between No-eyebrows and Asahi. The ball slipped from him and just as it was about to fall, Noya shot his foot out saving it. Asahi ran back immediately calling for the set again. Once again, I saw him fly and swear it was a sight I would never get tired of seeing. He blew away their hands and the ball rolled on the net before dropping on their side. The entire gym was silent as everyone processed what just happened. Then, we started screaming. I grabbed Kiyoko's arm as I jumped up and down and then pulled her into a hug. She patted my back and smiled at me. We quickly lined up to say thank you to the other team then joined the boys. 

"You did it!" I cheered loudly smiling at all of them. I went around the team giving them all big hugs until I got to Asahi.

"That last spike was so beautiful, you big oaf!" I jumped into his arms, my excitement and happiness rubbing off on him. 

"Oaf? Who are you calling an oaf, you dwarf?" I released myself from him and stared at him indignantly. 

"Who are you calling a dwarf?!" The rest of the team laughed at our exchange before we went to thank the crowd for watching. I saw the girl's volleyball team as well as the two guys from the neighbourhood association team. I beamed brightly to all of them as we walked off. The happiness of this win stayed with me even as I walked home with Asahi, a smile never leaving my face.

"You are going to good tomorrow too, Asahi. I'm really proud of you." I smiled at him as his face flushed slightly.

"Thank you y/n, that means a lot. Do you want to face time tonight?" He asked sheepishly. 

"Sure, but not for long. You need your beauty sleep." I laughed cheekily before heading up my driveway. "Bye, Asahi."

"Bye, Y/n." He gave me one last lingering look and then was walking down the street.


	13. T W E L V E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game against Aoba Johsai!

The game against Aoba Johsai was today and I was pumped. The consecutive wins from yesterday made my heart light and I was nothing but smiles. My attitude seemed to be infecting the team as well because they seemed less nervous than they were yesterday. Except for Tsukki, of course. He never smiles. Despite the threat that was Oikawa Tooru, I was feeling confident and energetic. The atmosphere of the gym was pretty much the same as yesterday with all the stares. We didn't let that affect us though and got straight to warming up. Oikawa's fangirls were cheering loudly from the sidelines but the shouts from the boys as they hit their spikes were louder. I sat with Kiyoko on the bench as we waited for the match to begin.

"I am so excited," I said to her. My knee was bouncing and my hands were fidgeting. The energy within me was begging to put to use but I knew it was for cheering for my team, not playing. 

"Me too, I have faith in them. They will do amazing today." We smiled at each other when we heard the whistle blow signalling the game was about to start. I flashed a thumbs up to the boys. 

The game started with our serve and setter dump, right off the bat from Oikawa. I stared at him with my mouth open slightly. That little shit. I knew he was good but to make a move so rude at the beginning of the game was a slap in the face to Karasuno. The next point for them appeared to be a setter dump, but he switched to a set, throwing off our blockers. What an asshole. I decided then and there that I didn't like the guy. I crossed my arm over my chest and glared at the court. This was going to be tougher than I thought. That was what I was thinking until Kageyama gave them a setter dump right back. I laughed loudly before letting out a loud cheer. This was going to be one hell of a game.

~~~~~

The game continued at a fast pace for a bit until Aoba Johsai called for a timeout. I could see the annoyed look on Kageyama's face and saw Oikawa talking to his team. This can't be good. When they got back on the court, they widened the point gap and I could see the anger on Kageyama's face. Points were being taken from us and they had even caught on to the cues that Kageyama and Hinata had. Once Oikawa was serving again, Coach Ukai called a time-out. With Aoba Johsai riding the momentum, we were stuck in the same place. The timeout seemed to do nothing though because Oikawa's serve was as good as ever. Tanaka was able to get it in the air but was immediately shut down by the blockers. Another time out was called. I had noticed Oikawa was targeting Tanaka. It made sense, breaking down the most powerful players and that would have been worrisome if I didn't know the type of player Tanaka was. He would not let this bring him down. After a quick slap to the face and an apology to the team, he was ready to get back out there. Finally, he got his point in and a huge scream as well. I smiled proudly at him and let out a cheer of support. Despite the point gap of 7, it was early in the match, I knew we could catch up. However, the match began to quicken slowly and I knew this acceleration wasn't good. Though it gave us a few points, things were getting sloppy and Kageyama was getting agitated. I knew a little bit about his past as "king of the court" and his drive to win gave him tunnel vision, he saw only himself on the court.

"Coach, you need to take him out, he's slipping," I said to Ukai without taking my eyes off the court. 

"Suga, come here." Coach Ukai said. "You'll be taking off Kageyama, he's losing his cool out there." Kiyoko handed him the tag for number 9. Before he walked to the side of the court, I pulled his arm.

"Show them what you are made of, Suga. Show them the skills that have been hiding during these matches." He squeezed my hand and smiled at me before switching with Kageyama. "You did well out there, Kags. You can't let him get you down. He's in your head. Keep him out of there." I said to him and patted him on his shoulder. He bowed to me before Hinata stole his attention. I looked out to the court at the boys and could see Suga hitting all of them with a smile on his face. I was excited to see him play. Suga was calm, cool, and collected and easily instructed the boys and giving them tips. Not only that, watching Suga set to Hinata had to be the cutest thing ever. 

"Look at Suga and his favourite child," I said smiling while rolling my eyes.

"Definitely the mom," Kiyoko replied before we both started laughing. The mood had shifted and everything was looking a bit brighter now that Suga has relieved the tension on the court. Despite this, the point gap was still large and Aoba Johsai took the first set. Now that the tension had dissipated, it was clear that everyone was thinking clearly in comparison to before when they were all moving on instinct. The second set started with our point scored by Tsukki and then it was Oikawa's serve. We had adjusted our formation, making sure our best receivers combated the intensity of his jump serve. They cut him off at one point, keeping us ahead of Aoba Johsai but this momentum didn't last. They began to anticipate Suga's attacks and Ukai called Kageyama to bring him back in. On Suga's last turn, he made sure his set to Asahi counted, putting us neck-to-neck with Aoba Johsai. The sub was called in and Kageyama instantly put in the work with a service ace, then completely scattered the team. He was even playing nice with Tsukki and that was saying something. And together, they took the second set with a total shut out. We all cheered loudly as the boys walked off of the court. Kiyoko and I were quick to hand them their water and towels.

"You guys are playing great, keep it up in the next set, and it will be ours," I said while giving Asahi a towel.

"Thank you y/n-chan, you always have the nicest words of encouragement," Suga said with a smile.

"Of course she does. She is great at volleyball and incredibly beautiful. That's our manager!" Tanaka cried before throwing an arm over me. I laughed at his words and pushed him off of me.

"Get ready for your game, you sweaty animal," I cried while collecting their towels and bottles.

The third set began and I was sweating, I even took off my team jacket and was pacing once again. Karasuno has come together and they were amazing but the anxiety of the final set had set in. We stayed neck-to-neck with Aoba Johsai but the rallies were killer. I wished I could sub one of them off to give them a much-needed break but I couldn't do that. They would rest when they won this match. 

The game was in Aoba Johsai's hands and we had both used our time outs.

"This isn't good," I mumbled. Something needed to change and fast and it seemed like Coach Ukai was thinking the same thing because he called up Yamaguchi. I knew he had been working on his float serves for a bit but I am a bit nervous to see him in action, especially considering this is his first game. The poor guy, the pressure on him right now was heavy but you never know what could turn the game around. Whether he makes this serve or not, it gives us a chance to calm down. "Nice serve, Yams," I called from the side. I could see him visibly shaking. 

"Coach, you must be a sadist or something. I feel nervous and I am not even on the court." I mumbled

"Shut up, it will turn out fine." The coach hit me on the back of the head with his clipboard as Kiyoko does. What is it with these guys and clipboards? I am going to need to hide those. I grumbled a little under my breath and rubbed the back of my head as Yams took the serve. Unfortunately, his ball hit the net but the mood has changed now. Thanks to Yams we were out of our slump and the game progressed with us happily riding the momentum. They exchanged blow for blow, the point gap closing slowly until they reached a deuce. Two more points, they just need two more points. Easier said than done of course because the match progressed back and forth until they had both passed 30 points. 

This match had my heart beating out of my chest. Aoba Johsai reached the setpoint once again but there was added vigour to the team. Hinata and Kageyama moved seamlessly as I had seen them do countless times before. The setup was perfect and I held my breath as I watched the set. It wasn't until the ball hit the floor on our side and Asahi, Kags, and Noya were on the ground that I had even realized what went wrong. He read them so well like they were a book. And we were so close, so close. I felt my face fall and my eyes burn as tears welled up. I stared at the floor where the ball had fallen and my body slumped back onto the bench. We had lost.

We went through the motions of the thank yous and the cleanup but I was numb. The last part of the match played in my head over and over again, I couldn't even snap out of it to talk to the boys. No one said anything to each other as we left the gym and it wasn't until I saw Kags and Hinata arguing outside that I said anything.

"Hey! The meeting is about to start." I put on my warmest smile and held my hand out to the two of them. "Despite how you both are feeling, you did amazing today."

"But we lost," Hinata said sadly.

"I know. Teams lose all the time. I lost my last volleyball game before I broke my leg. But you learn from your losses and failures. They are learning experiences. You love this sport don't you?" They nodded their heads. "Then grow from it. Learn what you can from this game that you love and grow. Improve and kick Aoba Johsai's ass when you play them again. You two are a dynamic duo and you brought change to Karasuno, but you are connected through more than that, you are teammates, sometimes even friends. You share a love for this sport so grow together. Now c'mon, let's join the team." I helped them stand up.

"Thank you y/n-senpai." They said, simultaneously while bowing to me. We went for the meeting then watched Aoba Johsai win their second match of the day. After that, Coach Ukai took us out to eat.

"All that running and jumping puts stress on the muscles and tears the muscle fibre. At the end of a match, your muscle fibres will be in tatters. You recover by eating. That's how you build muscle. That's how you get stronger. So eat up. Eat a proper meal." Coach Ukai said with a small smile on his face.

"Thanks for the meal." We all said before digging in. The boys started eating slowly and it wasn't until then that they realized how hungry and how sad they were. They started eating with vigour while tears poured down their faces. Kiyoko and I were chocked up at the sight. The sadness we felt was nothing compared to those who gave everything they had then fell short. I was sitting beside Asahi and Suga and I rubbed their back while they cried and Kiyoko did the same for Daichi. No words were spoken as we ate our food and they cried. 

After our meal, I hugged each of the boys, told them how proud I was of them, then we all went home. As usual, I walked home with Ashai but this time, I walked him to his house. I didn't want to leave him alone. He was silent, probably reflecting on the game and he walked a few paces ahead of me. I kept an eye on him but didn't say anything. I knew he didn't want to talk. When we reached his house, I realized just how close we lived together. This couldn't be more than a ten-minute walk. 5-7 minutes if I ran. 

"Thanks, y/n. I'll see you later." He didn't even turn to look at me. Before he walked away I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards me. I brought his head down to my neck and held him. His grip on my jacket was tight and I felt his shoulders shake slightly. I didn't say anything as I just held him. At some point in the walk, he had taken his hair tie out so he could run his hands through it in frustration. I played with his hair slightly and he kept a tight hold on me. Between my comforting touch and my hands through his hair, he eventually calmed down and his crying ceased. Despite this we didn't let each other go, I knew I was his support at this moment. 

"Will you be ok?" I asked finally after another minute of this. He still hasn't loosened his hold on me.

"Yea, thank you." He said quietly into my neck.

"You did it for me, and I'll always be here for you." 

"Always?" He asked, his face was red as he pulled away to look at me.

"Always," I responded keeping eye contact with him. He gave me a sad smile then gently kissed the top of my forehead. 

"Bye, y/n. Thank you, I'll see you soon." Then he turned and went inside his house. I was stuck there for a minute before I collected myself and walked home. I know I was supposed to feel sad after what had happened today, and I did. But I couldn't help the butterflies in my stomach as I thought about his lips on my skin over and over again.


End file.
